Jesus left Nazareth, his residence at Galilee, and came near to the group of the repentant around John the Baptist. At that time Nazareth was a frontier town far from the centers of religion and culture in Jerusalem. In spite of its bad reputation in morals and religion, due to its lack of culture and rude dialect, the young Jesus, Son of Mary, remained sinless. He was not in need of a baptism for the remission of sins, for he was innocent, pure, and holy. He did not confess any iniquity, but was baptized in place of men having accepted God’s call to take away the sin of the world.
When he agreed to his appointment for this mission, and began his work to reconcile the world to God Jesus was about thirty years of age.
And when he was baptized in our place the heavens parted, and the miracle of the Holy Trinity appeared as the Holy Spirit descended evidently in the form of a dove, and rested upon him as a symbol of peace. The peace of God dwelt in the heart of the Prince of Peace, and resided in it, for he had submitted his human nature completely to the service of God. During the baptism, a voice was heard from heaven saying: “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Undoubtedly, Christ was from eternity filled with the Holy Spirit. Yet, now God proved to him in a supernatural way that he was in full harmony with him having been sincerely and wholeheartedly devoted to the will of his Father.
Wherever the Holy Spirit appears, God speaks. He proclaims himself as Father, and glorifies Christ as the Son of God. No man can make as such words of love as those spoken by the Father about his Son as an everlasting testimony of his essence, nor can any human spirit probe these words, for God had cancelled his concealment, proclaimed himself as close love and everlasting joy, and testified that Christ is in fact his Son in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily.
This Godhead appeared in his kindness, compassion, mercy, tenderness, and patience. Jesus is the only beloved one who is filled with the love of God, for he has reconciled the disobedient world to the Holy God, and opened to us the possibility to become children of God, and to partake of his pleasure. Is God pleased with your behavior?